Clandestine migrants should not be deprived of their human rights and dignity

[23 SEP 2002] In his report, British member of parliament John Wilkinson calls for the introduction of a single and comprehensive pan-European instrument to ensure that millions of illegal immigrants in Europe are not deprived of their human rights. The international debate on illegal migration is mainly concerned with how to reduce the influx of these migrants into Europe. Very little is usually said about their social protection, education or minimum income. These gaps in the legislation and current practices are a source of considerable resentment and need to be tackled rapidly to defuse social and political tensions.